Where To Find Your Boat Engine Serial Number

Finding the correct information about your boat is integral when you need parts or service. You will especially need your serial number and or model number if you are replacing your gearcase. This guide shows you where to find your boat engine serial number and engine model number. Once you locate this, take a picture of your information plate so you have it with you at all times. If you have an iPhone, you can add your boat as a contact and add the plate picture as the Name Icon or use Google Lens to import those numbers to your contact notes. See the end of the article for instructions on to do this.

You will find your boat engine serial number and model number on the transom mount of the engine.

For Evinrude/Johnson, look to the left of the mount.

For Mercury, Mariner and Force, look on the right side of the motor on the transom mount.

For Volvo-Penta Sterndrive, you locate the engine serial number in one of two places.
SX-A numbers are found on the back of the engine,

Volvo SX-M serial numbers are on the side of the drive.

Finally, Mercuriser Sterndrives are identified by the drive number located on the side of the motor.

If you want to store your boat motor serial number plate picture in a place you can find it, I have two options to suggest. First, if you have an iPhone, you can add it to contacts. To do this open , click on:

1)Contacts on your phone or Mac, tap the + button, enter the name such as 2005 Evinrude
2) Add Photo/Picture at the top, choose all photos,
3) Find & select the photo with your serial number plate,
4) pull the photo wider to scale so you can read the #s. Hit Choose, Select special colors if desired and then Done.

2) 3) 4)

The second option is to use Google Lens to read the numbers into your contact. To do this
1) Open the picture of your serial # plate in Google Photos.
2) Tap the icon next to the trash can. Its’ a broken square with a dot in the middle, this will read the text on the photo and high light the text it picks up.
3) Using the markers, select the text portions you want to import. Then select copy.
4) Now open your contacts, add a new contact (for iPhone its the +) then press and hold over Notes to Paste the text info.